Alethea
“Seize her and throw her in the dungeon.” The words feel like a punch to my gut, and I can barely breathe.
His eyes are like fire, blazing with fury, with no hint of remorse or hesitation in them. It’s as if he’s ready to send me to an early grave with a single word.
I look between him and Liam in confusion and fear swirling in my chest.
What happened? Why this sudden shift? He promised that no harm would come to me. But now, here he is, about to break that promise without a second thought.
I feel the tightness in my throat, the desperate need to speak, to defend myself, to somehow stop this madness.
I take a step forward, my legs trembling as I gather the courage to say something that could change his mind.
Before I can get a single word out, he raises his hand again, it’s like a final gesture that shuts me down instantly.
The command in his movement stops me cold, and the words I want to speak get stuck in my throat, choking me before they can even form.
My heart is hammering in my chest, thudding so loudly I can barely hear anything else. It’s as if something is squeezing it tight, threatening to rip it out of me entirely.
My hands tremble at my sides, my body frozen in fear, unable to move, unable to breathe properly at the reality.
“Take her now!” His voice booms through the hallway, commanding and forceful.
The guards close in on me, grabbing me roughly, and I’m suddenly being dragged away like a common thief.
I try to fight against them, but they overpower me, and every step I take feels like a battle.
“Leave me alone! I can walk!” I shout, my voice trembling with grief, desperation, and anger.
My eyes lock with his one last time as they haul me away, but his gaze is cold, unreadable. It stabs at me like a dagger, and I can’t tear my eyes away from him.
“Alpha Asher, please!” I cry out, with a pleading voice as I’m dragged through the halls. “I need to warn you about something!”
But Alpha Asher doesn’t even flinch. His stance remains unshaken, his hand clenched into a fist at his side, his jaw tightly set.
His eyes… they’re impossible to read, his usual unreadable expression coming back to him like a mask.
The Alpha Asher I once knew is back, and I regret letting my guard down even for a moment.
Anger surges through me like a wildfire, burning away the fear and doubt. I’m not going to let this happen. I won’t be dragged away like this.
I gather every ounce of strength I have, and in a blur, I struggle against the guards, my body moving with a speed and force I didn’t know I had.
In seconds, every one of them is on the ground, knocked out cold. I stand there, breathless, staring at them in shock. “What the hell…” I mutter, unable to believe what I’ve just done.
I rush forward, my heart pounding in my chest. I need to tell him everything. I need him to understand what they’re planning.
I run with everything I have left, my legs feeling weak, my strength almost gone.
Ahead of me, I see Alpha Asher with his back turned, walking away like he’s moving on with his life, leaving me in this mess.
He notices me then I see the slight shift in his posture if he is to turn around or keep walking. But after what feels like an eternity, he slowly turns to face me.
I don’t waste a second. I rush toward him, my breath ragged, my heart pounding, my anger driving me forward as I meet his unreadable gaze.
“What is an alpha without keeping his promise?” I spit the words, with frustration in my voice. “I knew I shouldn’t have let my guard down around you. You’re nothing but a scheming, self-centered bastard who only cares about himself.”
A guard tries to rush toward me, but before they can lay a hand on me, Asher raises his hand, his authority making them freeze in place.
I continue to pour my fury out on him.
“I shouldn’t have come to you when I was in heat. I hate the fact that I let my guard down and trusted you. And fuck you, Alpha Asher. It would’ve been better if I just fucked one of the omega.”
The words leave my mouth like venom, but as soon as they do, I hear a low growl coming from him. The sound rumbles through the air, vibrating the ground beneath us, sending a ripple of tension shaking me to my core.
I stand there, anger still flowing through me like wildfire, refusing to be intimidated by the storm brewing. I won’t let him control this moment. He needs to understand how much he’s hurt me.
“You are nothing but a disgusting, egoistic, self-centered, manipulative alpha!” The words explode from my mouth, my anger spilling over like a dam breaking. “I’m sure you and Maya fit each other perfectly.”
At the mention of Maya’s name, I see her step out of the crowd, her eyes wide with fear as she looks at me.
I can feel her nervousness radiating from her, but it only fuels my rage. I take a step closer, my heart pounding as I lock eyes with her.
“Slut,” I say, my voice cutting through the tension like a knife. I hear gasps around me and everyone is shocked by my words, but I don’t care. “Do you want to deny it, Maya? Go ahead, deny it.”
I see her hesitate, her body visibly recoiling from my words. She takes a step back, caught off guard by my sudden aggression. It only makes me angrier, ready to tear everything apart.
She shakes her head slowly, almost pleading with me, but I know she’s not begging for mercy. She’s begging me not to expose the truth.
I can see it in her eyes; she knows exactly why I called her a slut, and I don’t care if she’s trying to hide it.
Liam steps forward, trying to grab me, to drag me away, but I fight against him. I act like a woman gone mad.
I can’t believe how quickly everything has shifted, how my world has turned upside down in an hour.
And how Asher, who promised me he would protect me-has failed me. It’s almost too much to process.
Liam’s grip on my wrist is forceful, and I can feel the anger radiating off him.
A low growl rumbles from deep within his chest, sending a chill through me. I can sense the fury boiling over, and it terrifies me.
“Take her now,” Alpha Asher’s command cuts through the air like a blade. Without another word, he turns, leading Maya by the hand, dragging her away, and I’m left standing in the chaos with a shallow ragged breath.
Liam, without hesitation, grabs my hand and yanks me forward, his grip on me is painful.
My knees hit the ground hard with every forceful tug, and I wince at the sting, the bruises forming instantly.
I don’t have the strength to fight back anymore. I’m done. What was I thinking, coming back here and confronting Alpha Asher like that?
I crossed the line with Maya, and now I’ve done it again with him. What happens now? I have no idea.
Tears burn my eyes as the reality of my situation crashes over me. “My son…”
The thought of him makes my chest tighten, and fresh tears stream down my face. Will I ever see him again? Will they let me out? My mind is filled with questions I have no answers to.
Before I can process any of it, I’m roughly shoved inside a room, my body stumbling forward from the force.
My hands are scraped and bruised from the harsh impact. I don’t even bother to steady myself. The pain, the hopelessness, it all feels too overwhelming.
This… this has to be the end. I can’t see a way out.